I first spotted them a couple of months ago, late at night speeding past on my bike as I turned a corner onto Lakeshore Avenue on the south side of Lake Merritt. The raccoons had just crossed the intersection, backing away, stiff like planks of wood, their faces turned my way. But one of them stood out, bright and ghost-like among the others. It was an albino raccoon of Lake Merritt, icons of the lake after sunset.
SFGate once called the species “spectral,” referring to their whitish blond fur. While they may be white, they are not truly albino; they are leucistic. While albinism is the complete loss of pigment in the entire body, leucism is the lack of pigmentation in only some areas, usually due to a rare gene. Looking again at the “albino” raccoons, it’s obvious — their striking blond fur is counterbalanced by the shades of brown verging on orange in their tails and the deep black pearls that are their eyes.
For many years, these raccoons have been revered. In 2018, a post of a dead blond raccoon went viral. The story was then picked up by SFGate, which claimed that this particular raccoon could have been the last of its “species.” The Associated Press then picked up the story, bringing these distinct Oakland residents to the attention of the rest of the state and country.
As Camryn Sanchez wrote for Oakland Magazine at the time, the racoons quickly became “a symbol of all that makes Oakland unique — becoming a blank slate onto which readers projected their disparate views of The Town.” From blaming houseless people in the area for their deaths, to making asides about the rising rents, to the raccoons having their own racism, comment sections became a place for people to share their projections.
It’s important to note that these are not a distinct species of raccoons, and it’s only out of a loving fascination with them that I am singling them out for this column about native species. It’s also important to remind you all that these blond raccoons are still out and about around the lake, and likely will be for a long time. As you wander during sunset, often on the south side of the waters’ edge, you can see them, hanging about with other raccoons, a ghostly marvel to any who have the fortune of glimpsing them. Just remember, how you view them says more about you then it ever will about them.
Get our FREE Newsletter
Don't miss out on our deep dive into the Bay's natural world. It's gonna be ecosocialism or barbarism, after all...
Cole Hersey is a writer based in Oakland, California. His work focuses on environmental topics and the arts. His work has been featured in Bay Nature, Earth Island Journal, and elsewhere.
